Mixed Tires?

Has anyone used Mud Terrains in back and ATs in the front?

I have a command trac (part time) and I don't want to spend money for four MTs.

If you ever plan on putting it into four wheel drive then I wouldn't. It'll put too much strain on the t-case. Just because it has 4wd I wouldn't do it because it only takes one time to damage things. It's not going to do it instantly, but depending on the tread pattern differences it can cause your t-case to fail much earlier, and possibly depending on the conditions in which it's being driven in 4wd you could be done.

Now on the other hand if you are 100% certain that you won't put it in 4wd then it might be ok. I'm never a big fan of mixing tires like that though. Best off saving the money and doing it right.

I would also like to add that I don't think it is the tread pattern that should warrant as much concern as the tread depth. 2 pair of tires of the same size with say, 5/32" less on one axle is going to turn at a slightly different speed than the other axle, which in 2wd would be fine and 4wd only on slippery surfaces would be OK but even then it may be a mofo to get back to 2wd. As always YMMV.:skull2:

i run TSL's up front and Baja Claws in my ass and i doo fine on the road and great on the trails

89 31x10.5x15R

im sure if that anwsers you question but i figure any input is better then none

Thanks....i was just wondering...since I only would use 4wd at low speed and in LO....but i can see maybe the TC can get damaged.

Tread pattern should not make a difference.
It is tire diameter. If the tires have the same working radius ( axle to road ) you should be OK.

Just look at all the well worn spares people use. If you put one on with a new set of tire you could have a 1/2 inch difference in radius.

Ever seen a jeep with one tire at significantly low pressure ( flatter ) than the others? Same thing, more comon and can be just as bad over time.

You can run 4 different tire if you measure the tires and make sure they are close in diamater. Do check the working radius when installed. Stiffer side walls and air pressure and make a big difference.

The same thing applies to different tires on an axle. It will add stress to any traction device. A locker will usually just chirp the tires to releave the stress. A limited slip will slip (wear faster).

Thanks again...i posed that as hypothetical...because the tires I have are good ATs but I would like to use some MTs in the back for mud...just in case...

It hardly matters at all. It's all ballpark.


How many guys here have tires that are 100% on the back, and 50% on the front? It's a common practice to only replace 2 tires at a time (hell if I know why).


You can mismatch gear ratios too. Long as you're within 3% for on road use, shouldn't be a big deal.


Oh, and you get a far greater difference in front/rear wheel speed while turning. And believe it or don't - your tcase is ment to handle this. Otherwise on dry pavement/rock (think Moab) your tcase would go bang. Which would be rather amusing.


That said, running slightly different tire sizes/gear ratios will lead to increased tcase chain wear. But, 4wheeling does this too.

Thanks again...

The reason I asked is that...I figured when I go off-road....I would keep the same tire size all the way around but I would have mudders in the back and the slippery surface would let the fronts spin if there is a traction loss up there.

I ran MT's in the rear and AT's in the front for six months or so, I had no problems at all.